History & Criticism

Whether it's horror at plastic littering the world's beaches, or despair at the melting of the polar ice caps, the world is gradually waking up to the impending climate disaster. In The Green Imperative, Papanek argues for design that addresses these...

This gorgeously photographed volume features the under-published private spaces of both the icons and unknown vanguards of European mid-century architecture and design. In keeping with the functional beauty of mid-century design, Handcrafted Modern:...

Foreword by Kaffe Fassett A visual journey through the decades, Vintage Knitwear takes a close look at the key periods, significant styles, iconic designers and cultural influences in fashion knitwear.Organized chronologically, this book enables the...

An extraordinary monograph created by Christian Louboutin, renowned for his beautifully crafted handmade shoes, in particular his elegantly sexy stilettos. This stunning volume, with a fanciful and intricate pop-up, an elaborate foldout cover, and...

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9780262526708Author Harold G. NelsonFormat PaperbackPage Count 296Imprint MIT PressPublisher MIT Press LtdDimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 14mm

Vices or virtues: drinking and smoking provided marketers with products to be forged into visual feasts. In this lush compendium of advertisements, we explore how depictions of these commodities spanned from the elegant to the offbeat, revealing how...

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9780262047692Author ElizabethFormat HardbackPage Count 144Imprint MIT PressPublisher MIT Press Ltd

Challenging the dominant design paradigm that centres humanity in its practice, Designing for Interdependence puts forward an ecocentric mode of designing that privileges a harmonious relationship between all life forms that share our planet. This book...

This is your invitation to the front row. Spanning over seven decades and 300 shows, this beautiful book tells the story of the high fashion catwalk. Through this inspirational collection of fashion show invites and tales from fashion week, curator and...

In today's world of instant snapshots, 24-hour news, and round-the-clock connectivity, an illustrated press where the images are as important as the text has become an increasingly rare art form. This far-reaching compendium celebrates the golden age of...

'Brings both house and garden vividly to life... A magnificent achievement' Gardens Illustrated 'A finely crafted work... it is an important record of the history of one of the country's most splendid estates' The English Garden The Palladian house...

"Pop culture is often maligned as fleeting, but history shows that sometimes what is pop in one culture has time-honored resonance in later ones. This book is an attempt to show that pop culture, especially as seen through the lenses of design,...

The architectural historian and critic Kenneth Frampton 'never recovered' from the force of Hannah Arendt's teaching at The New School in New York. The philosopher Richard J. Bernstein considers her the most perceptive political theorist and observer of...

A larger-than-life figure in the design community with a client list to match, Paula Scher turned her first major project as a partner at Pentagram into a formative twenty-five-year relationship with the Public Theater in New York. This behind-the-scenes...

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9782080421944Author Jean-Louis CohenFormat HardbackPage Count 356Imprint FlammarionPublisher Editions FlammarionWeight(grams) 1400g

The 18th century has been hailed for its revolution in consumer culture, but Material Literacy in Eighteenth-Century Britain repositions Britain as a nation of makers. It brings new attention to 18th-century craftswomen and men with its focus on the...

A timely and splendidly illustrated global exploration of the complex intersections of fashion and politics from the mid-19th century to the present day Taking a multifaceted look at a topic of widespread fascination, this pioneering book presents new...

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9781739897192Author Kazuo HozumiPage Count 1Imprint Herb Lester Associates LtdPublisher Herb Lester Associates LtdWeight(grams) 75gDimensions(mm) 210mm *...

Critical Design is becoming an increasingly influential discipline, affecting policy and practice in a range of fields. Matt Malpass's book is the first to introduce critical design as a field, providing a history of the discipline, outlining its key...

Who gets pockets, and why?It's a subject that stirs up plenty of passion: Why do men's clothes have so many pockets and women's so few? And why are the pockets on women's clothes often too small to fit phones, if they even open at all? In her captivating...

How do we define taste? The only certainty is that it shifts and changes - sometimes abruptly. With the explosion of vulgar consumerism in the mid-nineteenth century, the Victorians seized upon the notion of good taste as a way of codifying...

Biophilia is the theory that people possess an inherent affinity for nature, which developed during the long course of human evolution. In recent years, studies have revealed that this inclination continues to be a vital component to human health and...

"It's a fascinating journey, and with pages featuring brilliant images of rubies, emeralds, and Jaipur enamel work, it's a true feast for the eyes." - Natural Diamonds Inspired by India is an exploration of more than six centuries of trade, cultural...

Sought-after, sophisticated and versatile, the Hermes carre is wearable art that never goes out of fashion. Unveiling the history and artistry of the brand's silk accessory from the first designs in the early twentieth century to today, this fashion...

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9781786273970Author Stephen J. EskilsonFormat PaperbackPage Count 472Imprint Laurence King PublishingPublisher Laurence King Publishing

Miss Kate Cranston opened four Glasgow Tea Rooms at the end of the 19th century/beginning of the 20th, including the famous Willow Tea Rooms. Ahead of her time, Miss Cranston ensured that her Rea Rooms were designed and furnished by talented young...

In recent years, menswear has moved decisively center stage. Menswear Revolution investigates the transformation of men's fashion through the lens of shifting masculinities, examining how its increasing diversity has created new ways for men to explore...

Blending architecture, design, and technology, a visual tour through futures past via the objects we have replaced, left behind, and forgotten. So-called extinct objects are those that were imagined but were never in use, or that existed but are...

White T-shirt, Miniskirt, Hoodie, Jeans, Ballet flat, Breton top, Biker jacket, Little black dress, Stiletto, Trench. What are you wearing? In all likelihood, your outfit will feature at least one of these 10 items. Familiar, commonplace, ubiquitous -...

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9781623177362Author Johanna HoffmanFormat PaperbackPage Count 224Imprint North Atlantic Books,U.S.Publisher North Atlantic Books,U.S.

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9781786273437Author Peter FiellFormat PaperbackPage Count 216Imprint Laurence King PublishingPublisher Laurence King Publishing

A timely, large-format collection of fine art maps from Adam Dant, looking at the fractious world of politics. Adam Dant's Political Maps is an all-new collection of this highly regarded artist's intricate, absorbing and beautiful maps, this time...

Apologies but we at Booksplease don't have a full description for this book.Book InformationISBN 9781912018185Author Harriet ThorpeImprint Blue Crow MediaPublisher Blue Crow MediaDimensions(mm) 148mm * 210mm * 5mm

For 40 years, the Cold War dominated the world stage. East and West Germany stood at the frontlines of the global confrontation, symbolized by the infamous Berlin Wall, which separated lovers, friends, families, coworkers, and compatriots. The Wende...

This intoxicating and visually rich volume with texts by experts from India, Europe, and North America is published to accompany a major exhibition that celebrates the long historical contributions that Indian dress, textiles, and embroidery have had on...

Ordinary clothes have extraordinary stories. In contrast to academic and curatorial focus on the spectacular and the luxurious, Everyday Fashion makes the case that your grandmother's wardrobe is an archive as interesting and important as any museum...

This is the story of Bellville Sassoon, the design house whose name has been synonymous with the world of glamour for the last 50 years. It begins in the couture world of the '50s where straight out of the Royal College of Art, David Sassoon joined...

Join the art critic Ben Eastham on a private tour of an extraordinary museum. Let him walk you through a building constructed from memory and filled with a series of bewildering art works, while he delivers a guide comprised of personal...

"Hall's consummate history is not just the story of the evolution of one of the world's great collections... The book is also a through-the-keyhole insight into the shifting tastes, good or bad, of 1,000 years of monarchs."- The TimesThe Royal Collection...

The ever-popular blue jean originated in the Old West frontier of San Francisco in the late 1800s, and here is an extensive look at the entire era of Old West denim. Gathered from collections around the world, it presents never-before-seen pictures of...